Talent grew on trees back in the '50s (and '40s, and '30s.) It must have - even the sponsor's commercials from back then are more entertaining than today's programming. (Don't believe me? Catch a Jack Benny, Bilko, Kovacs or Sid Caesar episode with the original broadcast commercials sometime!)

A super-genius could conceivably remain obscure and under the radar, because the talent pool was so dense, and professionalism was so widespread and commonplace. What the hell happened?